77 Things To Do In Dahab, Egypt

Contrary to popular belief, Egypt is a safe country. Especially Dahab is one of the friendliest and most welcoming places on earth. In fact, it is so amazing that I (a solo female traveler) decided to live here. I feel safer than in any bigger city in Europe. I created this list of 77 Things To Do in Dahab to convince people to come to this wonderful little beach town on the Red Sea that I call home now.

It is so diverse, there is no way you will ever feel bored. If you don’t fall in love with the sea, you will fall in love with the desert. Or the people. Or the animals. Or the food. Trust me. You WILL fall in love one way or another 😉

Here’s 77 reasons you should book your flight to Egypt right now! Forget the travel warnings and YALLA – come to Dahab! If you want some FREE travel credits, check out the links in the sidebar. ->

Relax at Three Pools for an afternoon and snorkel the three connected underwater pools.

Go to Wadi Gnai (by horse, camel or car) and admire the beauty of an oasis in the middle of the desert.

If you’re lucky you can watch dolphins! They’re often seen around Dahab, and when they’re in the mood they’ll even swim with you. In summer, your chances at seeing them are especially high around Tiran Island in Sharm El-Sheikh.

I bet you haven’t tried sand boarding yet. Now’s your chance!

Talk to the locals. Everyone in Dahab is incredibly welcoming and nice. It’s worth getting to know them and their stories. Many of them struggle with problems we never thought about, yet they are always smiling.

Go on a short camel safari to Wadi El-Toalat and a small narrow canyon for a panoramic view of Dahab.

Are you the Esoteric kind of person or just want to try something new? Get a Tarot Card Reading at El Dorado Pizzeria.

Wave to Saudi Arabia! On most days you can see the Saudi Mountains on the other side of the sea.

Join a Drum Circle in the desert and dance to the melodic beats.

Need to get some work done? Visit the CoworkInn and set up your laptop with a view on the sea.

Cuddle some baby goats. They’re incredibly soft and super funny!

Get a private boat and spend the day on the water, fishing and tanning.

Relax from a day full of activities with a Shisha by the Sea.

Buy traditional medicine/tea for whatever health issue you have – Just ask a local Bedouin and they surely know what herb works best for your specific problem.

Enjoy not caring about Make Up and chic clothes – put on some harem pants and embrace your dirty feet.

Nothing! Yes, that’s right! One of the best things you can do in Dahab is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! It’s the perfect place to forget about work, home, stress and problems.

Food & Drinks in Dahab

Have Bedouin dinner in the desert (you could combine this with a quad tour e.g.)

Hungover and in need for the best breakfast ever? Ralph’s German Bakeryhas better bread rolls than my bakery at home in Germany. You also need to try the apple cake!

Everyday Café will spoil you with delicious cakes while you sit on their swing enjoying the view on Dahab.

A hot summer afternoon without Ice Cream from Ice Bubble? No chance!

Have a delicious traditional Tajine in a clay pot at Same Same But Different Restaurant.

Take a break from your diet and indulge in Dora’s delicious chocolate balls made of corn flour. Be warned though, it’s gonna be hard to stop!

Look out for this food cart and take some Koshary to enjoy on the beach.

Have Bedouin Tea every day and with everyone. No chance you’ll get around it.

Have dinner at Ali Babas – The award restaurant not only impresses with delicious food but also the best service you’ve had in a long time.

Try some spicy curry at Blue House Thai restaurant (Assalah Square).

Get a falafel sandwich at Yum Yum Falafel in Mashraba.

King Chicken is always busy – good sign for all chicken lovers!

Try the taste of Molokhia, a traditional Egyptian stew or soup made from leaves of Nalta jute. Some people say it’s too slimy, but Egyptians love it!

Missing some Italian flavor? El Dorado’s got you covered! Indulge in their famous pizza and feel like you’re in Rome – but next to the sea 😉

You need to try Om Ali – a traditional Egyptian desert equivalent to North America’s bread pudding. You can serve it warm with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream. Or two. 😉

Daytrips from Dahab

Spend a night in Ras Abu Galum, a protected natural area and Bedouin village. You can either walk (1.5hrs), take a camel or go by boat as it is not accessible by car from Dahab. The local families will take care of you and serve fresh fish (or veggies) for dinner after spending the day snorkeling and… well, that’s it. It’s the perfect place to wind down.

A short drive from Ras Abu Galum is the Blue Lagoon, where you can watch kite surfers perform their spectacular jumps.

Walk or take a camel through El Wishwashi Valley & Oasis, where you will see water running between the impressive rock formations.

Visit Sharm El-Sheikh for a day to see the beautiful mosques and do some shopping.

Go to Gabr El Bint by boat or foot. For a great camping experience, bring a tent and food and spend the night.

The national park of Ras Mohammed close to Sharm El-Sheikh is one of the most beautiful diving and snorkeling spots in the world with more than 1000 different species of fish.

Visit St. Catherine, the oldest working monastery in the world.

If you’re up for a great hike, climb Mount Sinai, the second highest mountain in Sinai. Watch the sunrise or sunset on top of the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Go on a tour with Sinai Gate and don’t feel like you’re on a tour – Bob will make you part of the family!

Spoil yourself at Castle Zaman in Nuweiba. This place is more expensive than all other places in Sinai, but well worth the money. You get access to the castle overlooking the sea for a full day. Sweat in the sauna and then enjoy a good drink by the pool while you wait for your amazing fresh served dinner.

Walk around Nabq National Park to the mangrove forest and snorkel as long as you want.

See the magnificent Colored Canyon, a canyon that is 1 km long with rocks varying from sandstone to limestone and granite in all the colors of the rainbow.

Go on a trip to the White Canyon & Salama Canyon, see the famous Mushroom rock and have lunch at Ain Khudra Oasis & spring.

Can’t get enough of the incredible rock formations? You’re in for treat! Another magical place for nature lovers is Rainbow Canyon. Not far is the Bir El Birea Oasis, where you can have lunch and relax.

Go on a tour to Serabit El-Khadem in the south-west of Sinai. You can visit the Hasthor Temple and Gebl el Fuga, the forest of pillars. The ancient Egyptians used to mine turquoise here.

Go on a jeep excursion to Hududa Sand Dunes, the biggest sand dunes in Sinai and a perfect place for sand boarders. The sand is super soft and in frequent change because of the wind. You’ll never have the same view!

11 More Tips For You From Dahab’s Community (thanks guys!)

78. Dive the Underwater Museum in Dahab. The i-Dive Tribe built a museum underwater, consisting of several artworks statues made by Egyptian hands and representing the culture. Scientists expect that most of the coral reefs worldwide will die within the next 70 years, except those inhibiting the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. This museum serves as a new home for coral reefs. Plus it looks really cool, check out this video:

78. On a calm day (shouldn’t be too windy), rent a kayak and paddle out on the beautiful Red Sea to see Dahab in its full beauty, with the mountains in the background and the water in the front.

79. Test your performing skills – go to CarmInn for a fun karaoke night. And run if you ever see me there, you don’t want to hear that 😀

79. Let someone paint a henna tattoo on your body to get the holiday vibe going. Don’t worry, it will disappear after 1-3 weeks. Be creative!

80. Visit the Art Exhibition at the Meridian Hotel that is held every three months. It’s a wonderful place where local artists share their work with everyone.

81. Go on a mountain bike adventure to Abu Galum or Nabq. It can get challenging, so you should be fit, but for sure you’ll have an awesome time and a great workout! If you’re up for a challenge, you can even go to St. Catherine. You can rent bikes from Dahab Cycling Club. There’s a Russian group called Velovuyki that organizes cycling tours in Sinai as well.

82. Get hair braids or get your headphone cables, phone charger cables etc braided. That way every time you charge your phone you will be reminded of your amazing time in Dahab 🙂

83. Dive the mysterious Caves south of Dahab and relax at the camp “The Caves” after or even spend a night, watching the stars at night and the sun rise over the sea in the morning. Unspoiled nature at its best!

Here’s some more photos of Dahab, if you’re still not convinced 😉 Just message me if you need any tips or help, I’ll do my best!

You can book a hotel on Booking.com (<- get 15€ FOR FREE with this link!!) or a private apartment on Airbnb and get $40 TRAVEL CREDIT for your first trip.

Note: If you use these links, I will get a small amount of money from these sites – no disadvantage for you, you get FREE travel money as well. That way we can both travel more 🙂

There’s also plenty of hotels and camps to choose from once you get here. I’m happy to recommend you camps, hotels or tour guides if needed.

Can’t travel right now? Beam yourself to Dahab by checking out these 360° pictures!

I’m sure there’s lots of other things you can do in Dahab that I didn’t mention. Please add your favorites in the comments, so everyone will find out how amazing this place is and in the future I can update this article so we hopefully get to 100 Things To Do In Dahab, Egypt 🙂

Hi Christina,
I really enjoyed this blog. I lived in Dahab for 12 years, some time ago. I think you have presented it beautifully. It is such an amazingly special place. I can tell you love it too. Lets hope this will inspire people to start visiting again.
best wishes, Katy x

Too much more
Arada Canyon, Zaranik Canyon ……………..
Bedouin dinner in the mountains, horse riding, full moon , see the stars by the telescope, Camel Racing seasonal, desert Camping Safari

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Getting to Dahab resort on the red sea in Egypt
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Getting to Dahab from Sharm El Sheikh. All you need is just book your flight to Sharm El Sheikh directly which is the ideal way to get to Dahab afterwards get a taxi to Dahab and it will takes only one hour to Dahab which is situated north of Sharm El Sheikh 100 kilometers then you are right on Dahab without much travelling if you was going to come from other ports to Dahab.
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Getting to Dahab from Cairo .there are plenty of domestic flights operate between Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh by Egypt air and it takes one hour to Sharm El Sheikh or you can take the bus from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh which takes 9 hours .After getting to Sharm El Sheikh only it takes one hour to Dahab by Taxi or Bus but the taxi is more convenient than the bus. Dahab situated north of Sharm El Sheikh 100 kilometers.
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Getting to Dahab resort on the red sea in Egypt from Israel through Taba border crossing
You should get your visa on Taba border crossing ( aquba gulf stamp ) which valid only if you going to stay at one of the red sea resort Dahab ,Newuiba ,Sharm El sheikh for 14 days only otherwise you must obtain a visa if your trip goes beyond those places.
To get to Dahab you should take a taxi from Taba borders crossing which will takes you a couple of hours to get to Dahab Resorts on the magnificent Red Sea.

Hey christina..loved what you wrote! Dahab is my favorite place in Egypt and i wish to leave cairo and leave there one day, i want to add to the above chimney canyon, a spectacular canyon located 20 kilos outside Dahab, got lots of grooves and not all of people know it

hello christina.i am gabriella a bavarian living in cathrin since 6 years.i found this site on daniels page.congratulation-you did a great job!
would like to meet you one day in dahab.maybe friday at the market???hope to see you soon gabrielia

Hello ,
Does anyone have an idea about the best diving office I can deal with there?
and for the budget on a not so luxurious stay yet an adventurous one. Would 300 dollars be enough for one week?
I’ll be there on Monday

Hi Mariam, if you want I can give you the number of my diving instructor and he’ll help you when you get there. He knows all the centers, so he can advise you. Just send me an email please – christina@alittlenomad.com . As for the budget, $300 will be fine (unless you plan to dive every day of course 😉